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The Adventures of Pearl !!! Host list post's #22 and #23
- Thread starter r redden
- Start date
btb01
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2008
- Messages
- 7,681
Here's something else related to King John that I came across today, a children's poem by A. A. Milne. It seemed worth sharing here, as there's pocket knife content, as well! 
King John’s Christmas
King John was not a good man —
He had his little ways.
And sometimes no one spoke to him
For days and days and days.
And men who came across him,
When walking in the town,
Gave him a supercilious stare,
Or passed with noses in the air —
And bad King John stood dumbly there,
Blushing beneath his crown.
King John was not a good man,
And no good friends had he.
He stayed in every afternoon…
But no one came to tea.
And, round about December,
The cards upon his shelf
Which wished him lots of Christmas cheer,
And fortune in the coming year,
Were never from his near and dear,
But only from himself.
King John was not a good man,
Yet had his hopes and fears.
They’d given him no present now
For years and years and years.
But every year at Christmas,
While minstrels stood about,
Collecting tribute from the young
For all the songs they might have sung,
He stole away upstairs and hung
A hopeful stocking out.
King John was not a good man,
He lived his life aloof;
Alone he thought a message out
While climbing up the roof.
He wrote it down and propped it
Against the chimney stack:
“TO ALL AND SUNDRY – NEAR AND FAR –
F. Christmas in particular.”
And signed it not “Johannes R.”
But very humbly, “Jack.”
“I want some crackers,
And I want some candy;
I think a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I don’t mind oranges,
I do like nuts!
And I SHOULD like a pocket-knife
That really cuts.
And, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!”
King John was not a good man —
He wrote this message out,
And gat him to this room again,
Descending by the spout.
And all that night he lay there,
A prey to hopes and fears.
“I think that’s him a-coming now!”
(Anxiety bedewed his brow.)
“He’ll bring one present, anyhow —
The first I had for years.”
“Forget about the crackers,
And forget the candy;
I’m sure a box of chocolates
Would never come in handy;
I don’t like oranges,
I don’t want nuts,
And I HAVE got a pocket-knife
That almost cuts.
But, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!”
King John was not a good man,
Next morning when the sun
Rose up to tell a waiting world
That Christmas had begun,
And people seized their stockings,
And opened them with glee,
And crackers, toys and games appeared,
And lips with sticky sweets were smeared,
King John said grimly: “As I feared,
Nothing again for me!”
“I did want crackers,
And I did want candy;
I know a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I do love oranges,
I did want nuts!
And, oh! if Father Christmas, had loved me at all,
He would have brought a big, red,
india-rubber ball!”
King John stood by the window,
And frowned to see below
The happy bands of boys and girls
All playing in the snow.
A while he stood there watching,
And envying them all …
When through the window big and red
There hurtled by his royal head,
And bounced and fell upon the bed,
An india-rubber ball!
AND, OH, FATHER CHRISTMAS,
MY BLESSINGS ON YOU FALL
FOR BRINGING HIM
A BIG, RED,
INDIA-RUBBER
BALL!
A. A. Milne
King John’s Christmas
King John was not a good man —
He had his little ways.
And sometimes no one spoke to him
For days and days and days.
And men who came across him,
When walking in the town,
Gave him a supercilious stare,
Or passed with noses in the air —
And bad King John stood dumbly there,
Blushing beneath his crown.
King John was not a good man,
And no good friends had he.
He stayed in every afternoon…
But no one came to tea.
And, round about December,
The cards upon his shelf
Which wished him lots of Christmas cheer,
And fortune in the coming year,
Were never from his near and dear,
But only from himself.
King John was not a good man,
Yet had his hopes and fears.
They’d given him no present now
For years and years and years.
But every year at Christmas,
While minstrels stood about,
Collecting tribute from the young
For all the songs they might have sung,
He stole away upstairs and hung
A hopeful stocking out.
King John was not a good man,
He lived his life aloof;
Alone he thought a message out
While climbing up the roof.
He wrote it down and propped it
Against the chimney stack:
“TO ALL AND SUNDRY – NEAR AND FAR –
F. Christmas in particular.”
And signed it not “Johannes R.”
But very humbly, “Jack.”
“I want some crackers,
And I want some candy;
I think a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I don’t mind oranges,
I do like nuts!
And I SHOULD like a pocket-knife
That really cuts.
And, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!”
King John was not a good man —
He wrote this message out,
And gat him to this room again,
Descending by the spout.
And all that night he lay there,
A prey to hopes and fears.
“I think that’s him a-coming now!”
(Anxiety bedewed his brow.)
“He’ll bring one present, anyhow —
The first I had for years.”
“Forget about the crackers,
And forget the candy;
I’m sure a box of chocolates
Would never come in handy;
I don’t like oranges,
I don’t want nuts,
And I HAVE got a pocket-knife
That almost cuts.
But, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!”
King John was not a good man,
Next morning when the sun
Rose up to tell a waiting world
That Christmas had begun,
And people seized their stockings,
And opened them with glee,
And crackers, toys and games appeared,
And lips with sticky sweets were smeared,
King John said grimly: “As I feared,
Nothing again for me!”
“I did want crackers,
And I did want candy;
I know a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I do love oranges,
I did want nuts!
And, oh! if Father Christmas, had loved me at all,
He would have brought a big, red,
india-rubber ball!”
King John stood by the window,
And frowned to see below
The happy bands of boys and girls
All playing in the snow.
A while he stood there watching,
And envying them all …
When through the window big and red
There hurtled by his royal head,
And bounced and fell upon the bed,
An india-rubber ball!
AND, OH, FATHER CHRISTMAS,
MY BLESSINGS ON YOU FALL
FOR BRINGING HIM
A BIG, RED,
INDIA-RUBBER
BALL!
A. A. Milne
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2002
- Messages
- 1,786
Wow, thank you for that fantastic tour David, really interesting, I have never been to Worcester
My first visit as well. You get to it through Birmingham though a day trip gives you a maximum of about six hours there. I was going to do stay overnight then visit Hereford Cathedral the day after but I've spent up for the month really.
Thanks Rachel. The cathedral was actually quite busy (it's still Easter school holidays around there) but you can always grab good pictures if you wait around a minute or two.
Thanks Gary.
Fantastic stuff so far, David!
Hey, I think I see the resemblance!
LOL! A perfect likeness!
Actually people aren't sure how much of a likeness that effigy is. King John died so unexpectedly that none of the usual preparations had been made. When he died in Newark Castle his servants literally abandoned him; grabbing what they could of his belongings and running away.He was found by the knight William Marshal (often referred to as England's Greatest Knight), who then oversaw the execution of his Will and ensured the succession of his son Henry. If the effigy is a likeness it would have to of been prepared during the procession from Newark to Worcester (about 100 miles) or of been pre-carved. There is though no evidence that had been done due to his sudden death and the fact that England was in a state of civil war at the time.
Here's something else related to King John that I came across today, a children's poem by A. A. Milne. It seemed worth sharing here, as there's pocket knife content, as well!
King John’s Christmas
King John was not a good man —
He had his little ways.
And sometimes no one spoke to him
For days and days and days.
And men who came across him,
When walking in the town,
Gave him a supercilious stare,
Or passed with noses in the air —
And bad King John stood dumbly there,
Blushing beneath his crown.
King John was not a good man,
And no good friends had he.
He stayed in every afternoon…
But no one came to tea.
And, round about December,
The cards upon his shelf
Which wished him lots of Christmas cheer,
And fortune in the coming year,
Were never from his near and dear,
But only from himself.
King John was not a good man,
Yet had his hopes and fears.
They’d given him no present now
For years and years and years.
But every year at Christmas,
While minstrels stood about,
Collecting tribute from the young
For all the songs they might have sung,
He stole away upstairs and hung
A hopeful stocking out.
King John was not a good man,
He lived his life aloof;
Alone he thought a message out
While climbing up the roof.
He wrote it down and propped it
Against the chimney stack:
“TO ALL AND SUNDRY – NEAR AND FAR –
F. Christmas in particular.”
And signed it not “Johannes R.”
But very humbly, “Jack.”
“I want some crackers,
And I want some candy;
I think a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I don’t mind oranges,
I do like nuts!
And I SHOULD like a pocket-knife
That really cuts.
And, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!”
King John was not a good man —
He wrote this message out,
And gat him to this room again,
Descending by the spout.
And all that night he lay there,
A prey to hopes and fears.
“I think that’s him a-coming now!”
(Anxiety bedewed his brow.)
“He’ll bring one present, anyhow —
The first I had for years.”
“Forget about the crackers,
And forget the candy;
I’m sure a box of chocolates
Would never come in handy;
I don’t like oranges,
I don’t want nuts,
And I HAVE got a pocket-knife
That almost cuts.
But, oh! Father Christmas, if you love me at all,
Bring me a big, red, india-rubber ball!”
King John was not a good man,
Next morning when the sun
Rose up to tell a waiting world
That Christmas had begun,
And people seized their stockings,
And opened them with glee,
And crackers, toys and games appeared,
And lips with sticky sweets were smeared,
King John said grimly: “As I feared,
Nothing again for me!”
“I did want crackers,
And I did want candy;
I know a box of chocolates
Would come in handy;
I do love oranges,
I did want nuts!
And, oh! if Father Christmas, had loved me at all,
He would have brought a big, red,
india-rubber ball!”
King John stood by the window,
And frowned to see below
The happy bands of boys and girls
All playing in the snow.
A while he stood there watching,
And envying them all …
When through the window big and red
There hurtled by his royal head,
And bounced and fell upon the bed,
An india-rubber ball!
AND, OH, FATHER CHRISTMAS,
MY BLESSINGS ON YOU FALL
FOR BRINGING HIM
A BIG, RED,
INDIA-RUBBER
BALL!
A. A. Milne
What a great poem! I've never seen that before; thanks for posting it!
I wonder what sort of pocket knife Milne was thinking of when he wrote it?
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2002
- Messages
- 1,786
Evening everyone I hope your all having a nice weekend.
Just a mini adventure today with Pearl.
So this weekend was going to be a visit to the port city of Liverpool as I had some stuff to do for work. However, yesterday the weather was complete pants (a little taste of winter) and today I found out that
Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby, one of thee finest ales in all the realm, was on at one of my favourite watering holes so me and Pearl took a cycle down the Leeds-Liverpool canal to Wigan.
The obligatory pork pie.
'Wigan Central' pub, located in the old railway arches under the railway in Wigan.
So some of you may of seen one of Jack's recent posts that included pictures of a section of the Leeds-Liverpool canal in Skipton. This is a branch of that same canal but on the other side of the country which joins the Leeds-Liverpool to the Bridgewater Canal; generally regarded as the world's first industrial canal.
http://www.bridgewatercanal.co.uk/history/
The Leeds Liverpool canal was the first to cross the Pennines.
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/leeds-and-liverpool-canal
This section of the Leeds-Liverpool canal runs through what was the south Lancashire coalfields. At one time one of the busiest coalfields in the world, now quite a serene and pleasent walk. Over the years mining subsidence, quite a problem in this part of the world has resulted in the formation of "Flashes", effectively large man-made lakes that are now used for boating and wildlife reserves.
Wigan is both a lot closer than 35 miles to the Liverpool and closer than 92 miles to Leeds but the way the canal winds and weaves through the countryside increases it's length substantially.
Pearl sitting on a recreation of the remains of "Wigan Pier" a landmark made famous by a book by George Orwell highlighting working class poverty in Wigan during the industrial era.
Otherwise Wigan has really not much else. I was hoping to show you all a steam engine thats open on Sundays located in Wigans only remaining cotton mill but unfortuantely Wigan Council have shut it down.
https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Trencherfield-Mill-Engine.aspx
Some old canal locks.
And Wigan Dry Dock for the narrowboats.
Anyhow thanks for looking; like I said a mini-adventure to the town where I was born. I didn't bother with Wigan itself as it's a very non-descript old northern mining/mill town and I also had ale to drink.
Pearl will be accompanying me to a beer festival on Thursday so expect more adventures soon.
Just a mini adventure today with Pearl.
So this weekend was going to be a visit to the port city of Liverpool as I had some stuff to do for work. However, yesterday the weather was complete pants (a little taste of winter) and today I found out that
Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby, one of thee finest ales in all the realm, was on at one of my favourite watering holes so me and Pearl took a cycle down the Leeds-Liverpool canal to Wigan.
The obligatory pork pie.
'Wigan Central' pub, located in the old railway arches under the railway in Wigan.
So some of you may of seen one of Jack's recent posts that included pictures of a section of the Leeds-Liverpool canal in Skipton. This is a branch of that same canal but on the other side of the country which joins the Leeds-Liverpool to the Bridgewater Canal; generally regarded as the world's first industrial canal.
http://www.bridgewatercanal.co.uk/history/
The Leeds Liverpool canal was the first to cross the Pennines.
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/leeds-and-liverpool-canal
This section of the Leeds-Liverpool canal runs through what was the south Lancashire coalfields. At one time one of the busiest coalfields in the world, now quite a serene and pleasent walk. Over the years mining subsidence, quite a problem in this part of the world has resulted in the formation of "Flashes", effectively large man-made lakes that are now used for boating and wildlife reserves.
Wigan is both a lot closer than 35 miles to the Liverpool and closer than 92 miles to Leeds but the way the canal winds and weaves through the countryside increases it's length substantially.
Pearl sitting on a recreation of the remains of "Wigan Pier" a landmark made famous by a book by George Orwell highlighting working class poverty in Wigan during the industrial era.
Otherwise Wigan has really not much else. I was hoping to show you all a steam engine thats open on Sundays located in Wigans only remaining cotton mill but unfortuantely Wigan Council have shut it down.
https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Trencherfield-Mill-Engine.aspx
Some old canal locks.
And Wigan Dry Dock for the narrowboats.
Anyhow thanks for looking; like I said a mini-adventure to the town where I was born. I didn't bother with Wigan itself as it's a very non-descript old northern mining/mill town and I also had ale to drink.
Pearl will be accompanying me to a beer festival on Thursday so expect more adventures soon.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2005
- Messages
- 69,789
Wow David, what a great post with fantastic photos That pint has me smacking my lips! Shame about the steam engine Do you know the joke about the pier? Thanks for taking us along
My parents had their honeymoon on the Bridgewater Canal, they stayed with some family friends who lived in one of those mock Tudor places that is always shown on calendars and postcards
That pint has me smacking my lips! Shame about the steam engine Do you know the joke about the pier? Thanks for taking us along My parents had their honeymoon on the Bridgewater Canal, they stayed with some family friends who lived in one of those mock Tudor places that is always shown on calendars and postcards
Prester John
Basic Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2018
- Messages
- 13,653
Wonderful chronicle. Pearl must be exhausted, though!Evening everyone I hope your all having a nice weekend.
Just a mini adventure today with Pearl.
So this weekend was going to be a visit to the port city of Liverpool as I had some stuff to do for work. However, yesterday the weather was complete pants (a little taste of winter) and today I found out that
Sarah Hughes Ruby Dark, one of thee finest ales in all the realm, was on at one of my favourite watering holes so me and Pearl took a cycle down the Leeds-Liverpool canal to Wigan.
The obligatory pork pie.
'Wigan Central' pub, located in the old railway arches under the railway in Wigan.
So some of you may of seen one of Jack's recent posts that included pictures of a section of the Leeds-Liverpool canal in Skipton. This is a branch of that same canal but on the other side of the country which joins the Leeds-Liverpool to the Bridgewater Canal; generally regarded as the world's first industrial canal.
http://www.bridgewatercanal.co.uk/history/
The Leeds Liverpool canal was the first to cross the Pennines.
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/leeds-and-liverpool-canal
This section of the Leeds-Liverpool canal runs through what was the south Lancashire coalfields. At one time one of the busiest coalfields in the world, now quite a serene and pleasent walk. Over the years mining subsidence, quite a problem in this part of the world has resulted in the formation of "Flashes", effectively large man-made lakes that are now used for boating and wildlife reserves.
Wigan is both a lot closer than 35 miles to the Liverpool and closer than 92 miles to Leeds but the way the canal winds and weaves through the countryside increases it's length substantially.
Pearl sitting on a recreation of the remains of "Wigan Pier" a landmark made famous by a book by George Orwell highlighting working class poverty in Wigan during the industrial era.
Otherwise Wigan has really not much else. I was hoping to show you all a steam engine thats open on Sundays located in Wigans only remaining cotton mill but unfortuantely Wigan Council have shut it down.
https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Trencherfield-Mill-Engine.aspx
Some old canal locks.
And Wigan Dry Dock for the narrowboats.
Anyhow thanks for looking; like I said a mini-adventure to the town where I was born. I didn't bother with Wigan itself as it's a very non-descript old northern mining/mill town and I also had ale to drink.
Pearl will be accompanying me to a beer festival on Thursday so expect more adventures soon.
Fodderwing
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2017
- Messages
- 9,182
Very cool pics and info David. Were any of the subsidence incidents sudden or were they always slow and gradual? Do these subsidence events still occur today or has the land stabilized?
Last edited:
peanutsxx
Gold Member
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2017
- Messages
- 918
Jack Black
and
donn
thank you both very much for the smashing English countryside tour and education. I have thoroughly enjoyed the 'walk'!
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2014
- Messages
- 7,462
Thanks David for an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable tour. -James
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2002
- Messages
- 1,786
Wow David, what a great post with fantastic photos
My parents had their honeymoon on the Bridgewater Canal, they stayed with some family friends who lived in one of those mock Tudor places that is always shown on calendars and postcards
Aye hopefully the steam engine closure is temporary. Nope I don't know the joke about Wigan pier; I did actually do a brief internet search the first time I tracked that down but didn't find anything.
It sounds like your parents' where in or around Worsley, where the Bridgewater Canal starts, that's a model village with a lot of mock tudor houses. It would be quite nice round there but they drove a motorway past it about 50 years ago.
You can get to it on a bus from Manchester. Hi Dwight. I think the subsidence was gradual but it started quite early. Some mines had already been mined out by the 1880's. I've seen a picture of one of the Flashes taken in 1890 but they only became nature reserves in the 1980's. Before then the area was quite polluted. My dad was born and bred in the area and always said that round there everything was black. Slag heaps hundreds of feet high.
The land has generally stabilised as mining stopped decades ago, but there must still be gradual settlement occurring. The end of one of the fields on our old family farm is still sinking. The road my mum's house is on is a long narrow tree-lined road. You used to be able to stand at the top and look down it's entire length, but you can't do that now as you'd be stood in a quite a dip.
LOL! The next mini-adventure will be quite sedate. A beer festival at the Old Windmill pub in Coventry.
Thanks chaps. I genuinely struggle to find interesting stuff that's local to me as it really is very boring where I live.
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2005
- Messages
- 69,789
Aye hopefully the steam engine closure is temporary. Nope I don't know the joke about Wigan pier; I did actually do a brief internet search the first time I tracked that down but didn't find anything.
It sounds like your parents' where in or around Worsley, where the Bridgewater Canal starts, that's a model village with a lot of mock tudor houses. It would be quite nice round there but they drove a motorway past it about 50 years ago.
Hope so
Yes, Worsley it was, the house was the one right next to the canal, though I think the folks (long-term friends of my grandparents) only had a part of it. I've seen photos of it often enough...
I think it's this one David, Renee and Arthur are long gone though, imagine some pretty swanky folks live there today. Unless the motorway has driven house prices down!
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2015
- Messages
- 404
Thanks Donn for a very interesting tour, pearl seems to be having a great time!
She would be most welcome to join us when its time to say good bye.
Cheers, Paul
She would be most welcome to join us when its time to say good bye.
Cheers, Paul
r8shell
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2010
- Messages
- 25,517
I'm glad it was a gradual subsidence. Here's what happens if it's a sudden thing
Lake Peigneur Salt Mine collapse:
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2016
- Messages
- 3,149
I learn so much on The Porch... probably most importantly is that in one thread I learned from @5K Qs what a "Pork Pie" hat is and in this thread I see why it is called a "Pork Pie" hat!The obligatory pork pie.
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2002
- Messages
- 1,786
Hope so
I think it's this one David, Renee and Arthur are long gone though, imagine some pretty swanky folks live there today. Unless the motorway has driven house prices down!
Aye that's the place Jack. It's actually quite a nice village but I don't think the house prices are a problem. To use the vernacular of estate agents having one of Europe's busiest motorways sat at the end of your garden would mean "rapid transport links into Manchester and to the M6".
Though what's rapid about the M60 I do not know... 
Hi Paul, yep of course. I was going to keep her for 3 weeks then send her on her way so if your volunteering I'll contact you next week to sort details.
Thanks for the great tour David! Looking forward to your report on the beer festival
Me to
I'm glad it was a gradual subsidence. Here's what happens if it's a sudden thing
Lake Peigneur Salt Mine collapse:
Holy...!!! Errr....no Rachel. Nothing like that at all.
Though if the mines did somehow all collapse at once a quarter of Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire would disappear. I learn so much on The Porch... probably most importantly is that in one thread I learned from @5K Qs what a "Pork Pie" hat is and in this thread I see why it is called a "Pork Pie" hat!
View attachment 1119640
I remember that to! These are obviously a lot tastier though!
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- 693
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2015
- Messages
- 6,121
Pork Pie hat was the nickname of Lester Young, and a tune written by Charlie Mingus.I learn so much on The Porch... probably most importantly is that in one thread I learned from @5K Qs what a "Pork Pie" hat is and in this thread I see why it is called a "Pork Pie" hat!
View attachment 1119640